OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, Fla. — About 3,000 veterans live in Okeechobee County, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Some are aging or disabled and can’t get around like they used to, and that’s where a fellow veteran steps in.
“Thank You For Your Service” is a nonprofit run by Army veteran Gregg Maynard.
Since 2018, Maynard has traveled with a work trailer, answering the call to help veterans in need in Okeechobee and surrounding counties.
"A lot of that hits home with me because my father was a Vietnam vet and I watch him struggle growing up as a kid," Maynard said.
Maynard said to date, he’s built 46 access ramps and 12 handicapped-accessible bathrooms for veterans in need.
Simply getting into their home or bathroom can be a tough task.
A disabled Army vet himself, Maynard said what could take months for a service like the Veterans Administration to install a ramp, he gets done with little delay.
Talking about veterans he’s helped, including a recent World War II veteran's home, Maynard said, "If he’s stuck in his house, his health is going to deteriorate. This gets him out and about."
Working through donations and some from his own funds, Maynard stretches the use out of all his tools.
"If I can make that saw last another year by doing that that couple of hundred bucks could go to another ramp which you know, economic times, money’s a little tight right now," Maynard said.
It’s not just a job for Maynard.
To him, this builds long-lasting veteran-to-veteran relationships.
"Bonding with these guys, that’s something you cannot get back. I’m very happy with it because somebody’s got to do it," Maynard said.
If you’d like to get in touch with Maynard and his Thank You For Your Service, email him at Thankyouforyourservice34972@gmail.com.
